Bella Robinson, executive director of Coyote RI – kicked off the event by giving a speech about the immediate effects that FOSTA- (Fight Online Sex Trafficking act) and Sesta (Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act) have had on sex workers

Elijah Edelman helped set up the Coyote table, where we gave out drinks- cocktails red umbrellas, henna Coyote tattoos. We also had “What is Fosta & Sesta” flyers, “Know your Rights Cards” and “flyers on the “RI sex worker research as well as flyers on the “US sex worker research”

Elena Shih, an Assistant Professor of American Studies and Ethnic Studies, and Faculty Affiliate in the Department of Sociology and Watson Institute, and CSSJ Faculty Fellow. Elena is also the research director of Coyote RI. Elena gave a speech about the rescue industry and how a local NGO Sojourner House has tapped into TIP funding and received 200k, to run Rhode Island’s first trafficking shelter. Elena goes on to explain how they are racist & transphobic because they only provide beds to cis women, leaving out trans women of color, who are more likely in need of services.

Catarina Lorenzo, executive director of AMOR (Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance) who spoke about the effects of separating families and AMOR’s 24-hour support line that provides support to undocumented people at risk of deportation, and those who are victims of hate crimes and police abuse.

Lilah Rose, a legal sex worker, who works as a fetish model, talks about the effects of stigma and discrimination in the sex industry and how FOSTA has even effected legal sex workers.

The PrYsm family (Providence Youth Student Movement) working the AMOR table- left to right, Daniel Chhum, Steven Dy and Elena Shih